Waning Crescent
by Blondie B. Happy
Summary: "The waning crescent, moreover, is the final chance you have to make your difference." The goddess of the moon knew that the green eyed boy was more than just a name or an ordinary half-blood. He had a fate, and he too would be like the waning crescent. One-Shot for Battle of the Fandoms, Round Two.


**Waning Crescent—this is for Round Two of Battle of the Fandoms by Lunknownl. The topic was Artemis meeting Percy for the first time. My Round One story was 'We Were Made For This'. Sorry for typos/OOCness. Very Slightly AU. Reviews are truly loved.**

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_~A waning crescent is the final cycle of the moon, in which there is barely any light left until it fades unto blackness, forming the new moon, which starts the cycle all over again. The waning crescent is the last thing you shall see before the path fades into darkness. The waning crescent, moreover, is the final chance you have to make your difference~_

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Originally, Artemis did not believe that there should be cycles of the moon. She believed that they should stay true to one shape and not fade into darkness on one side, making it uneven. It seemed silly, to her, that something so perfect could be ruined so easily.

Oh, but what did she know? She was only the goddess of the moon. She had taken the job after Selene had faded.

The moon went on to have very many never-ending cycles of change, and the goddess of the hunt changed along with them. She went from the appearance of a middle aged lady to that of a teenager, then to a student fresh out of her studies. She could not decide what she should be like.

Soon, though, she settled on the looks of a young lady, twelve years old, and stayed that way for many years. She wished the moon would stay full too, but that was out of her control. Apparently, being the goddess of the moon didn't give her complete control over it. Like many things, it took its own path and strayed from leadership.

Artemis traveled with her hunt, a collection of many girls that she found over time. She always favored her lieutenant, Zoe Nightshade, who had been through it all quite like herself. She was a daughter of the Titan Atlas and had been loyal to the goddess for many years.

The worst time to track a monster was the Winter Solstice, but that was what the Hunters of Artemis were doing one year. They trekked through the snow of Maine, hunting down the ancient monster that went by the name of Manticore.

The best tracker, Phoebe, knelt down and inspected the ground. She brushed aside some of the snow. "The Manticore has walked these grounds recently, my lady." She stood up and walked over a few feet to a new patch of ground. "It seems as if he stalled here and then turned around, heading the same direction as we go."

"My lady," started Zoe. "There is a school ahead. Westover Hall. Do you believe he may me disguised as one of the teachers?"

Artemis considered this. "It is quite likely that he will be at this institute. The question, however, is why he would be at this school." And they all knew the answer to this. The Manticore was working with Kronos, and he was probably there to collect some poor demigods for the ever-growing army.

The group was quick on their feet, and from years of practice they had learned how to travel without leaving behind any tracks, even in snow. They quickly moved between the trees, and Artemis was the most graceful of them all. Artemis did not run; she merely glided from place to place elegantly.

Like the waning crescent, Artemis had a gut-wrenching feeling that she didn't feel like sharing with her hunters, because worrying them was the last thing she wanted to do. They were trained to never show fear, but that did not mean that it didn't exist, deep in the recesses of their minds.

She had a feeling that this event right here would be a waning crescent too.

Something bad was going to happen that would lead to an end in someone, but soon, it would start a whole new string of events until the cycle came back to its start. For someone, this would be there last chance to set things right before it all started over again. Artemis knew to trust her instincts, because they were usually right.

The Hunters, upon entering a very small clearing, spread out and threaded arrows through their bows. They turned to Artemis, wanting guidance for what to do next. This was a waning crescent; this was their last chance to kill the Manticore before something new began.

She waited and listened, because nature was always helpful.

The leaves began to churn, after a few minutes, and the few bits of wildlife that remained out during the harsh winter months awoke. The birds and insects flew away and little furry creatures scurried around, clearly worried about something, but Artemis could feel it too. The Hunters, even with their sharpened senses, would not be able to, but the ground shook the slightest bit and the wind blew more insistently than it had before.

"A helicopter," Artemis decided aloud with finality.

One by one they all looked into the sky. There was a helicopter flying across it now, interrupting the majestic beauty of the woods. "It must be manned by the mortals," Zoe informed everyone. "I just don't understand why the mortals would be involved with this sort of war."

"The Mist works in the weirdest of ways, Zoe," Artemis sighed.

She snapped her fingers to draw the Hunters attention's to her. "We must not be far. Spread out, but do not thin yourselves. We attack on my mark."

They nodded in agreement and they continued their journey through the snow until they came to the very edge of the woods. Off in the distance, Artemis heard the sound of the helicopter blades mixed with something deeper and more powerful. They were near a cliff, she could see, and she came to the conclusion that the cliff dropped off into the sea.

Before the cliff though, was the Manticore, battling with a bunch of kids. Half-bloods, she decided, based off of their skills and weapons. Three of them were fighting, two were cowering. One of them was perhaps a nature spirit or satyr. They were in poor condition. The Manticore flicked spikes at them, and her Hunters arched their weapons.

Zoe was the closest to her, and Artemis could see the girl staring at her from the corner of her eye.

Artemis held up a readied hand. "On my mark."

She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a small horn and put it against her lips. She blew into it, and a deep, clear hunting call echoed throughout the woods, louder than the ocean and the helicopter combined.

For a moment, everyone was frozen.

As quick as a comet, one of the silver arrows embedded itself in the Manticore's shoulder. The monster cursed at Hunters and wailed, which was followed by the throwing of clusters of spikes, straight at them. Within milliseconds, they had taken aim and let loose their own arrows, intercepting the spikes in midair and slashing them in two. Not one escaped, and not a single person was hurt.

The Manticore pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and howled. One of the demigods that Artemis found familiar charged him, swinging his sword. The monster lunged out of the way and slammed into the half-blood, who was knocked aside.

"Forward," ordered Artemis, and the Hunters moved out of the woods and descended upon the kids and monster. The helicopter was as annoying as ever, and the poor mortals were trying to shoot at them, as if that would somehow make a difference.

"The Hunters!" cried the blonde haired girl. Artemis found her familiar too, and tried to remember the last time she had seen the girl.

"Oh wonderful," muttered a girl with short black hair. Recognition flared inside of Artemis. Oh yes, she remembered them. Meeting them had been their waning crescent before their new moon in which the black-haired girl, Thalia Grace, had been turned into a tree. It was her father's doing.

Years ago, Artemis had found Thalia and blonde-haired girl named Annabeth traveling with another man named Luke Castellan. They had attempted to recruit the two girls. Annabeth had been fascinated, but was young and declined. Thalia had struck a fight with the Hunters, especially Zoe. So yes, Artemis remembered these people from many moons ago.

Zoe moved forward and drew a bow, aiming it directly at the Manticore. "Permission to kill, my lady?"

The Manticore screamed at them. "This is not fair! Direct Interference! It is against the Ancient Laws."

Artemis moved forward so present herself in front of everyone. All eyes were on her, and she could feel the confusion rolling off of some of the half-bloods, probably wondering what a twelve-year-old girl would be able to do against the Manticore. "Not so," she started, shaking her head. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast."

She looked at her lieutenant. "Zoe, permission granted."

The Manticore growled. "If I cannot have these alive, I shall have them dead!" With those words said, he lunged at Thalia and the other boy and Artemis still couldn't make out well enough to recognize.

"No!" Annabeth screamed, and she charged the Manticore. Artemis wished that the girl would reconsider joining the Hunters, for she had to will and spirit of one. The girl was brave, no doubt, but as Artemis had feared, this battle was too a waning crescent.

"Get back, half-blood," Zoe yelled. "Get out of the line of fire."

Annabeth Chase refused to listen to her, and Artemis found that admirable. She leapt onto the Manticore's back and slammed her bronze knife into the monsters mane. The Manticore shrieked in pain and tried to buck the girl off as he turned in circles, but she held on for dear life. She was far too close to the cliff's edge to let go then. Artemis knew that her fate had been sealed.

Zoe screamed, "FIRE!" at the same time the raven-haired boy yelled, "NO!"

And only then, in the midst of fighting and tragedy, did the goddess of the moon fully recognize who the young half-blood was. Oh, it was Percy Jackson, the one that would change this world. He had an old soul in him, for he had a fate that had been mapped out long ago by the Oracle. A Great Prophecy had predicted that a half-blood of the eldest gods would either be the savior or the destroyer of Olympus.

She knew that you were never to chance fate, but that was what Kronos had done by bringing Thalia Grace back. He believed that if he got Thalia Grace before her sixteenth birthday that he would be able to control her into destroying Olympus. But Artemis believed that it would never work. Fate wasn't something to mess with.

That explained why the Manticore was there. He wanted to get Thalia, and perhaps Percy too, and bring them over to the Titans.

Her Hunters shot their arrows at the monster, and he was hit. Once. Twice.

The Manticore stumbled back, wailing. "This is not the end, Huntress. You shall pay!" And before she, any of the Hunters, or the half-bloods could react, he jumped straight off of the cliff with Annabeth Chase clinging to his back.

That was the waning crescent. And now, the new moon had begun for them.

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled, chasing after her. He still had hope that he could reach her, but there wasn't. And then there was the sound of gunshots, and small bullets pierced the snow around their feet. Her Hunters scattered, but she stood there, making herself as tall as she could in her child's body.

"Mortals are not allowed to witness my hunt," she announced. She trust out her hand into the sky, feeling the power ebb in her arm. She imagined what they could become that may form some use to the world rather than only destruction. When she opened her eyes, the helicopter was gone, and many ravens flew off into twilight sky.

Zoe motioned the Hunt forward, and her eyes fell upon Thalia, making her lip curl. "You."

`Thalia smile was as cold as the snow and faded. She shook with anger and grief. "Zoe Nightshade. Perfect timing, as usual."

She ignored the daughter of Zeus. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," Artemis said thoughtfully. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see." She examined them. A satyr, Thalia and Percy, and two other half-bloods that looked as if they had just been dragged through Tartarus. They were powerful, so maybe the Manticore had been at the school to collect them too. No matter; she would be able to learn more after she questioned them.

Percy was being held down now by a few Hunters. He struggled against them. "Annabeth!" he cried. "You have to let us save her!"

"I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help. You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs."

"Let me go! Who do you think you are?" he demanded. Some of the girls gasped, and Zoe stepped forward as if to slap him. The look on her face said that she would eagerly do so.

"No. I sense no disrespect, Zoe. He is simply distraught. He does not understand." She moved forward to look at the boy. "I am Artemis, goddess of the Hunt." What she didn't say was that she was goddess of the moon too.

The green eyes seemed tired and distressed, and perhaps fearful that she, a goddess, was right in front of him. He was young, but Artemis was old and wise. She knew better than to judge a book by its cover, for this half-blood didn't just live by a name. The fate that was matched with him was as old as the moon itself.

He would be a waning crescent too, and hopefully, his destiny would be fulfilled before it faded into darkness.

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_~The waning crescent is the last chance before the void, but it is always the smallest glimpse of hope. That hope can mark the foundations needed for the start of something big and worthwhile, for when the waning crescent fades and the new moon has begun, nothing has been written down. This hope may not shine so bright, but it is there and is merely a pathway for what has yet to be done. There is always the slimmest chance that the cycle will change, for the future has yet to come~_


End file.
